Ergonomic syringe barrel

ABSTRACT

The syringes of the invention are configured with ergonomic features that include polygonal shaped flanges and textured barrels. The polygonal shaped flanges, which preferably have between five and ten sides, help reduce the ability of the syringes to undesirably roll when they are put down and reduce the material required to manufacture the flanges, yet are more comfortable than square and rectangular flanges. The textured barrels enable a user to grab and hold onto the barrels during delivery with syringes so as to increase the leverage and control over the syringe.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. The Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention is in the field of fluid delivery devicesand, more particularly, to syringes.

[0003] 2. The Relevant Technology

[0004] In the dental industry, syringes are often used in theapplication of fluid materials such as, but not limited to dentalfilling materials, sealers, medicines, and local anesthetics. Syringesare particularly useful delivery devices because they can be configuredwith predetermined dosages and they can also be delivered in acontrolled manner. The rate and manner in which the material is expelledfrom the syringe can typically be controlled by the rate and manner inwhich a plunger is forced through the syringe.

[0005] Existing syringes, such as the syringe 10 illustrated in FIG. 1,typically include a hollow barrel 12 with two ends. At one end, thebarrel tapers to a tip 14 or is attached to a tip that is configured toexpel the material. The opposite end of the barrel 12 is typicallyconfigured with a flange 16 that can be used for gripping when thematerial is expelled out from the barrel 12. As shown in FIG. 1, thefingers of the hand can bear against the flange 16 of the barrel whilethe thumb is used to push the plunger 18 through the barrel 12. As theplunger 18 is forced through the barrel 12, the material containedwithin the barrel 12 is forced out of the barrel 12.

[0006] One problem experienced by existing syringes, however, is thatthe flange is either round or square. Round flanges (not shown) aretypically more comfortable on a user's fingers than square flanges andare therefore desirable. However, a round shaped flange typicallyrequires more material to manufacture than a square shaped flange of thesame size. Accordingly, syringes having round flanges are typically moreexpensive to manufacture than syringes having square flanges.Additionally, the round flanges may enable the syringe to roll off of asurface that the syringe is set down upon. This can be a problem becausethe syringe may undesirably fall onto the floor where it can becomecontaminated. This can also be somewhat hazardous, such as when thesyringe is equipped with a needle that may undesirably pierce the skinof the patient or the practitioner.

[0007] Another problem with existing syringes is that the externalsurface of the barrel 12 is smooth, making it difficult at times, togrip with the fingers. For instance, as shown in FIG. 2, a practitionermay grip the barrel 12 between the fingers with the plunger 18positioned within the palm of the hand, thereby enabling thepractitioner to apply additional leverage to the plunger 18 and toincrease the control the practitioner has over the orientation of thesyringe 10. This technique is particularly useful when the materialwithin the syringe 10 is somewhat viscous, making it difficult to drivethe plunger 18 entirely through the barrel 12 with the thumb. However,slippage can be a problem when using this technique, particularly whenthe fingers or syringe 10 become wet from water, blood, saliva or othermaterials that are present in a typical dental and medical environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Briefly summarized, the present invention is directed to improvedsyringes having ergonomically improved barrels.

[0009] According to one aspect of the invention, the ergonomicallyimproved barrels may include a textured outer surface configured tofacilitate gripping and handling of the syringe barrel. The texturing onthe barrel may be disposed along the entire outer surface of the barrelor along only a portion of the barrel.

[0010] The desired texturing may be provided with a ribbed surface, witha knurled surface, or any other desired texturing. The texturing may berecessed and formed within the barrel surface or protrude out away fromthe barrel surface. According to one embodiment, the texturing may beintegrally formed as a part of the barrel, such as during injectionmolding of the barrel, in a two-part molding process, or in a machiningprocess. An independent textured surface may also be affixed to thebarrel with a chemical or mechanical bond, such as with an adhesive,with a mechanical friction fit, by welding, or any other suitableprocess.

[0011] According to another aspect of the invention, the barrel may beconfigured with a flange formed in the shape of a polygon having morethan four sides. According to one embodiment, the flange has five to tensides. The polygon shape of the flange minimizes the material that mustbe used to manufacture the flange, relative to round flanges of the samesize. The multiple sides also help to prevent the syringe from rollingwhen the syringe is set down.

[0012] These and other benefits, advantages and features of the presentinvention will become more fully apparent from the following descriptionand appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the inventionas set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] In order that the manner in which the above recited and otherbenefits, advantages and features of the invention are obtained, a moreparticular description of the invention briefly described above will berendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which areillustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawingsdepict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not thereforeto be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be describedand explained with additional specificity and detail through the use ofthe accompanying drawings in which:

[0014]FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art syringe having a smooth exteriorbarrel surface and a square flange that is disposed in a hand;

[0015]FIG. 2 illustrates the prior art syringe of FIG. 1 in which thebarrel of the syringe is disposed between two fingers of the handholding the syringe;

[0016]FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the syringe of the inventionthat includes a barrel having a textured surface covering only a portionof the barrel and an eight-sided polygonal flange;

[0017]FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of the syringe of the inventionthat includes a barrel having a textured surface extending almost theentire length of the barrel and a six-sided polygonal flange;

[0018]FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of the syringe of the inventionthat includes a barrel having a textured surface that includes ringsprotruding out away from the barrel and a five-sided polygonal flange;

[0019]FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of the syringe of FIG. 3 that isheld within the hand of a user with some of the user's fingers disposedon the flange; and

[0020]FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of the syringe of FIG. 3 that isheld within the hand of a user with some of the user's fingers disposedon the textured surface of the barrel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] A detailed description of the invention will now be provided withspecific reference to figures illustrating preferred embodiments of theinvention. It will be appreciated that like structures will be providedwith like reference designations. To provide context for interpretingthe scope of the invention, certain terms used throughout theapplication will now be defined.

[0022] The term “fluid material,” as used herein, refers to anycomposition, fluid, compound, or other material that is capable of beingdispensed from a syringe. The term “fluid material is sometimes usedinterchangeably herein with the terms “material,” and “fluid.”

[0023] As mentioned above, the syringes of the invention are configuredwith ergonomic features that can improve the control a user has indispensing fluids from the syringes. The ergonomic features, which aredescribed herein, generally include a textured barrel and a polygonshaped flange.

[0024]FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the syringe 50 of theinvention. As shown, the syringe 50 includes a barrel 54 that is hollowand configured to contain a fluid material. The barrel 50 extends from afirst end comprising a tip 52 to a second end comprising a flange 56.The tip 52 is configured to disperse the fluid material and the flange56 is configured to accommodate the fingers of a user holding thesyringe 50.

[0025] One unique feature of the flange 56 is that it is polygon shaped.In the present embodiment, for example, the flange 56 is configured witheight sides. The polygon shape of the flange 56 is useful for reducingthe amount of material that is required to manufacture the flange 56,relative to similarly sized round flanges, thereby reducing the overallcost of manufacturing the barrel 54 and the syringe 50. The polygonalshape of the flange 56 is also useful because it can help to preventundesired rolling of the syringe 50 when the syringe 50 is set down.

[0026] Some existing syringes include square and rectangular flangesthat can help to prevent rolling of the syringe. However, square andrectangular flanges are configured to only be gripped from a feworientations. The sharp 90° angle on existing square and rectangularflanges can also make it uncomfortable to hold and operate the syringe.Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the polygonal shape of theflange 56 disclosed in the present invention is useful for increasingthe ergonomic comfort of operation of the syringe 50, particularly incomparison to existing syringes having square and rectangular flanges.

[0027] The number of sides that the polygonal flange 56 may beconfigured with can vary between different embodiments. For instance,the flange 56 illustrated in FIG. 3 includes eight sides, the flange 156shown in FIG. 4, however, includes only six sides, and the flange 256shown in FIG. 5 includes only five sides. Preferably, the number ofsides on the polygonal flange is greater than four and less than eleven.However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited tosyringes having flanges of between five and ten sides. In particular,the flanges may be configured with more than ten sides.

[0028]FIG. 3 illustrates another aspect of the invention. As shown, thesyringe 50 of the invention also includes an ergonomically configuredbarrel 54. The barrel 54 is considered ergonomically configured becauseit is textured, making it relatively easier to grip. The texturedsurface 60 on the barrel 54 can be disposed over only a portion of thebarrel 54, as shown, or the textured surface can alternatively bedisposed over the entire barrel 54.

[0029]FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment in which the syringe barrel 154is configured with a textured surface 160 that extends over almost theentire barrel 154. This embodiment is useful for facilitating thegripping of the syringe 150 at any point on the barrel 154. The texturedsurfaces 60 and 160 of FIGS. 3 and 4 are shown to comprise rings thatare formed into the barrels 54 and 154 of the respective syringes 50 and150. It will be appreciated that by forming the rings into the barrels54, 154, as illustrated, less material is required to manufacture thebarrels 54 and 154 than would otherwise be required to manufacture thebarrels 54 and 154. In particular, a void of material exists betweeneach of the rings comprising the textured surfaces 60 and 160, therebyreducing the total material required to manufacture the barrels 54 and154.

[0030]FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment in which the texturedsurface 260 is formed by rings that are disposed on top of the barrel254, rather than being recessed within the barrel 254. Although thisbarrel 254 may require more material for manufacturing than the barrels54 and 154 described above, this embodiment is useful because the extramaterial can provide the barrel 254 with increased strength andstability. Accordingly, the manner in which the textured surfaces 60,160, 260 are formed may vary to accommodate different needs andpreferences. Likewise, the type of texturing used to create the texturedsurfaces 60, 160, and 260 may also vary. For instance, in otherembodiments, the textured surfaces may include knurling, rings, bumps,protrusions, recesses, grooves, or other texturing structures configuredto make the barrel ergonomically easier to grip.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the textured surfaces are integrallyformed with the barrels during injection molding of the barrels, such asduring a single-part or a two-part molding process. The texturedsurfaces may also be formed separately from the barrels and subsequentlyattached to the barrels, such as with an adhesive, by welding, with afriction fit or a mechanical coupling.

[0032] Attention is now directed to FIG. 6 to further illustrate anddescribe the utility of syringes of the invention. As shown, theinventive syringe 50 is disposed within the hand 300 of a user. Theillustrated syringe 50 is the same as the syringe 50 illustrated in FIG.3, including a polygon shaped flange 56 and a textured surface 60 thatis disposed on the barrel 54.

[0033] Because the flange 56 has a plurality of sides, as describedabove, the user can easily grab and hold onto the syringe 50 by theflange 56 from a variety of different orientations. For instance, theflange 56 may be held by the thumb 310, the index finger 320, and thepointer finger 330, or with any other combination of fingers. When thesyringe 50 is held in the illustrated orientation, then the plunger 70is able to rest against the palm of the hand 300.

[0034] From this position, the user can pull on the flange 56 with thefingers, causing the palm of the hand to force the plunger 70 throughthe barrel 50, thereby expelling the fluid that is contained within thebarrel 50 out of the barrel 50 through the tip 52. However, once theplunger 70 is forced a certain distance into the barrel 54, it canbecome difficult to continue applying an adequate pulling force to theflange 56 with the fingers at the same time an adequate pushing force isapplied to the plunger 70 with the palm of the hand. It may also bedifficult to express the fluid material out of the barrel 54 with thedesired control when the thumb 310 is used to apply the pushing force tothe plunger, as generally illustrated in FIG. 1, when the other fingersare disposed on the flange 56. To exercise desired control, therefore,it may be desirable to move the fingers up about the barrel 54 to obtaina more convenient and ergonomic hold on the syringe 54, as illustratedin FIG. 7.

[0035]FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment in which the fingers 310, 320and 330 have been moved up to grasp a hold of the syringe 50 by thebarrel 54. As mentioned above, it may be desirable to hold the syringe50 in this manner to provide a sufficient grip for expelling theresidual amounts of the fluid material out of the syringe 50.

[0036] As shown, the user can now easily pull on the barrel 54 of thesyringe 50 with the fingers 310, 320 and 330, while at the same timepushing on the plunger 70 with the palm of the hand 300. It will beappreciated that the textured surface 60 is particularly useful in thisembodiment for providing increased friction for enabling the fingers tomore easily grab and hold onto the barrel 54 than would otherwise bepossible, particularly when the barrel 54 is wet.

[0037] In summary, the syringes of the invention provide ergonomicadvantages over existing syringes in the art. In particular, thesyringes of the present invention include polygonal shaped flanges andtextured barrel surfaces to increase the operational comfort and controlof the syringes. In certain embodiments, the polygonal shaped flangesand textured surfaces also reduce the amount of material required tomanufacture the syringes. It should be appreciated that these areimprovements over the existing devices in the art.

[0038] It will also be appreciated that the present claimed inventionmay be embodied in other specific forms without departing from itsspirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to beconsidered in all respects only as illustrative, not restrictive. Thescope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claimsrather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come withinthe meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embracedwithin their scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A syringe configured to contain and deliver afluid material, the syringe comprising: a hollow barrel configured tocontain a fluid material therein, the barrel extending from a first endto a second end; and a textured surface disposed over at least a portionof the barrel, the textured surface being configured to be engaged bythe fingers of a person holding the syringe.
 2. A syringe as recited inclaim 1, further comprising a plunger that is configured to be insertedwithin the first end of the barrel and to express the fluid material outof the second end of the barrel when the plunger is advanced through thebarrel.
 3. A syringe as recited in claim 1, further comprising apolygonal-shaped flange that protrudes laterally away from an outersurface of the barrel.
 4. A syringe as recited in claim 3, the flangecomprising the shape of a polygon having at least five sides.
 5. Asyringe as recited in claim 3, the flange comprising the shape of apolygon having ten or fewer sides.
 6. A syringe as recited in claim 5,the flange comprising the shape of a polygon having eight sides.
 7. Asyringe as recited in claim 1, the textured surface being integrallyattached to the barrel.
 8. A syringe as recited in claim 1, the texturedsurface protruding away from the barrel.
 9. A syringe as recited inclaim 1, the textured surface comprising rings formed around the barrel.10. A syringe as recited in claim 1, the textured surface being disposedover a portion of the barrel.
 11. A syringe as recited in claim 1, thetextured surface comprising at least one of a knurled surface, recesses,grooves, ridges, or bumps.
 12. A syringe configured to contain anddeliver a fluid material, the syringe comprising: a hollow barrelconfigured to contain a fluid material therein, the barrel extendingfrom a first end to a second end; and a polygonal shaped flange havingat least five sides, the polygonal shaped flange protruding laterallyaway from an outer surface of the barrel and being configured to beengaged by the fingers of a person holding the syringe.
 13. A syringe asrecited in claim 12, the flange comprising the shape of a polygon havingless than eleven sides.
 14. A syringe as recited in claim 12, furthercomprising a textured surface disposed over at least a portion of thebarrel, the textured surface being configured to be engaged by thefingers of a person holding the syringe.
 15. A syringe as recited inclaim 12, the textured surface comprising at least one of rings, aknurled surface, recesses, grooves, ridges, or bumps.
 16. A syringe asrecited in claim 12, further comprising a plunger that is at leastpartially disposed within the barrel and that is configured to expressthe fluid material out of the barrel when the plunger is advancedthrough the barrel.
 17. A syringe configured to contain and deliver afluid material, the syringe comprising: a hollow barrel configured tocontain a fluid material, the barrel extending from a first end to asecond end; a polygonal shaped flange having at least five sides thatprotrudes laterally away from an outer surface of the barrel and that isconfigured to be engaged by the fingers of a person holding the syringe;a textured surface disposed over at least a portion of the barrel, thetextured surface being configured to be grasped by the fingers of aperson holding the syringe; and a plunger configured to be insertedwithin the first end of the barrel and to express the fluid material outof the second end of the barrel when the plunger is advanced through thebarrel.
 18. A syringe as recited in claim 17, the flange comprising theshape of a polygon having ten or fewer sides.
 19. A syringe as recitedin claim 17, the textured surface comprising at least one of rings, aknurled surface, recesses, grooves, ridges, or bumps.
 20. A syringe asrecited in claim 17, the textured surface being integrally attached tothe barrel.